This lively research discussion with leaders of the Global Wellness Institute will predict that the current, compartmentalized “programmatic” approaches to workplace wellness will disappear and argue that companies need to reorient their wellness strategies (and their whole mindset) around culture-wide caring. Participants will learn which work culture elements have the biggest impact on employee wellness and how becoming a “company that cares” is well within their reach.

New Research: What is the Future of Wellness at Work?

Original Air Date: May 10, 2016Presenters from the Global Wellness Institute: Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO; Katherine Johnston, Senior Research Fellow; & Beth McGroarty, Research Director

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Webinar Description

NWI members and other interested individuals are invited to join the Global Wellness Institute as they share key findings from two new research reports, which will give attendees a “big picture” view of where workplace wellness approaches have been—and where they need to go in the future. They will present new data on the state of wellness—and cost of “unwellness”—for the U.S. and global workforces, as well as forecasting the many ways that work will change dramatically in the future, and how that will require equally dramatic changes to workplace wellness strategies.

The Global Wellness Institute’s U.S. employee survey (conducted with Everyday Health) shines new light on what’s working, and not, with current workplace wellness programs, finding high levels of worker disengagement and cynicism. That survey’s overwhelming finding: It isn’t the existence of a wellness program that moves the needle on employee health, stress, and job engagement; it’s whether an employee identifies their company as actually “caring about their health/wellness.” The researchers will then explain the dozens of “tangible” and “intangible” elements that employees say most constitute meaningful “company caring.” The presenters will also share which of those elements have the biggest impact on employee health and happiness, while also identifying some important differences for Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer employees.

This lively research discussion will predict that the current, compartmentalized “programmatic” approaches to workplace wellness will disappear and argue that companies need to reorient their wellness strategies (and their whole mindset) around culture-wide caring. Participants will learn which work culture elements have the biggest impact on employee wellness and how becoming a “company that cares” is well within their reach.

Objectives

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

grasp the how work itself is changing--from an increasingly virtual, free agent, and multi-generational workforce, to the shift from an “information” to a “wisdom” economy--and how that will necessitate new workplace wellness approaches.

understand the profound impact that communicating you’re a “company who cares” has on employee health/wellness and job engagement, and the extremely negative health and productivity outcomes when a company is perceived as “non-caring.”

identify what “tangible” and “intangible” elements drive the most employee health/wellness.

understand how focusing on the emotional, intellectual, and work relationship “intangibles” actually has a bigger impact--and which factors drive the most wellness for Gen X/Baby Boomer vs. Millennial workers.

About the Presenters

Susie Ellis, MBA, is chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute, a leading non-profit research and educational resource for the global wellness industry. She also guides the Global Wellness Summit, an international organization representing senior executives and leaders. Susie is also president of Spafinder Wellness, Inc. Recognized as a top authority on the worldwide wellness industry, she is a prominent writer and speaker that is frequently quoted in news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. She holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the recipient of the International Spa Association's Visionary Award.

Katherine Johnston is a Senior Research Fellow with the Global Wellness Institute, where for eight years she has helped pioneer groundbreaking research on the multi-sector wellness industry. She has 16 years of experience conducting economic and industry competitiveness studies worldwide and has worked since 1999 as a senior economist at SRI International, a major non-profit research and consulting firm. She holds degrees from Sweet Briar College and Georgetown University.

Beth McGroarty is Research Director for the Global Wellness Institute. She also leads research and strategic communications for the Global Wellness Summit, and is research director at Spafinder Wellness Inc., where she leads the annual “Global Spa & Wellness Trends Forecast.” Previously, she directed research and communications initiatives for a wide range of clients, from technology to health to entertainment. Beth also taught for six years in the English Department at Stanford University, and holds degrees from Barnard College and Stanford.